Retail Marketing in the Digital Era

In this CUHK Business School Research White Paper, we shall examine some of the questions that companies and marketing professionals must deal with to succeed in this new digital age. First of all, customers now more than ever expect e-commerce websites to be clear, informative and highlight the wide variety of products available to them. In light of this, how can companies most effectively capture the attention of consumers in a digital age where the majority of purchase decisions are increasingly being conducted in front of mobile devices such as smartphones?

As consumers have switched their purchase habits away from physical retail stores, so too has payments now shifted to being dominated by an array of region-specific digital formats, from bank transfers to e-wallets and credit cards and even short-term financing (Buy Now Pay Later) solutions. But can the use of digital payments affect how customers make purchase choices?

Social media has also become a crucial part of any e-commerce plan, with the popularity of platforms such as Instagram, Tiktok to China’s WeChat all surging as people sought to maintain social contact at the height of the pandemic. Many of the current generation now use social media as their main conduit with which to learn more about the world around them, including where to shop and what to buy. In this age of the rise of social media, how can companies leverage off new and exciting ways to communicate to their customers and spread the word of mouth, and how can they shape consumer feedback to their advantage?

Finally, physical retail itself has been transformed as customers have gradually make their way back to brick and mortar stores, with more and more businesses making use of touch interfaces to communicate and interact with customers. Do their use affect consumer choice and what could be potential implications for consumers and policymakers?

These are some of the questions that we will be seeking to address.